Lock for firearms



(No Model.)

LQJONSON.

, LOCK FOR FIRBARMS. No. 485,043.

PatentedOct. 25, 1892.

W/ TNE SSE S A TTOHNEY.

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NITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

LARS JONSON, OF ESCANBA, MICHIGAN.

LOCK FOR FIREARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,043, dated October25, 1892.

Application tiled March 5, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LARs JoNsoN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Escanaba, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which thefollowing is a specification, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

My invention relates more particularly to that class of hand-firearmsknown as hammerless 5 and it consists mainly of a self-cocking locktherefor which differs from the locks heretofore used therein in beingextremely simple of construction and consisting of but few parts, andthe same is fully shown and described in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, wherein similar numerals ofreference designate like or equivalent parts wherever found throughoutthe several views, and in which- Figure l represents a side view of myimproved gun-lock at rest, portions of the gunstock being broken away inorder to show the mechanism of the lock; Fig. 2, a like View thereof,showing the parts in the position assumed by them just prior to therelease of the firing-bolt in the operation of firing; and Fig. 3, alike view showing the position of the parts the instant after firing.Fig. fiis a rear View of the upper end of the mainspring; Fig. 5, a topplan view of the forward end of the firing-bolt, showing the mainspringengaging therewith; and Fig. 6 is a View in perspective of the triggerand trigger-guard catch.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the trigger, thefinger-piece of which is substantially of the common form, as shown, andthe same is pivoted to the upper wall of the lock-cavity of the stock,as shown at 2, so as to swing freely backward and forward. The portionof this trigger 1 which is inclosed within the lock-cavity is preferablyof substantially the form shown and is provided witha shelf 3, extendinglongitudinally thereof, havingat its forward end a catch or stop 4,adapted to engage with a corresponding catch or stop 5, formed on thelower side of the firing-bolt or hammer 6 some little distance from therear end thereof, as

Serial No. 423,871. (No model.)

shown. or ham mer 6, which is preferably of the shape shown, is providedwith slots 7 on either side thereof adapted to receive theupwardly-extending prongs 8, formed at the upper end of the mainspring 9in such manner that the firing-bolt Will be normally keptpressed forwardby the action of such prongs 8 against the head 10 of such firing-bolt.

The mainspring 9 is of any suitable shape or form, preferably of thatshown, and the lower end thereof is secured to the stock in anyconvenient manner, preferably by means of screws 1l.

The firing-bolt or hammer 6 extends rearwardly a considerable distancebeyond the catch or stop 5 thereon and ends, preferably, in aslightly-downward-bending point 12, which is kept normally in contactwith the shelf 3 of the trigger 1 by a spring 13, the free end of whichpresses against the top of such firing-bolt, which is kept from slippingsidewise off from such shelf 3 by a removable plate 14, which is securedto the shelf Bof the trigger preferably by means of a screw 15, therebeing sufficient space between the plate 14 and the upper portion of thetrigger above the shelf 3 to allow free movement of the firing-bolttherein. The trigger 1 is kept normally pressed forward by a spring 16,pressing against the rear thereof, which spring is preferably secured tothe gu nstock by a screw 17, which also serves to hold in position thespring 13.

Extending rearwardly from the lower middle portion of the trigger 1 isan extension 18, by which the same may be locked in a forward position,when desired, by a proper manipulation of the stop or button 19. Thisstop or button 19 is preferably of the form shown in Fig. 6, consistingof a central stud 20, provided with a head formed by two projections 21and 21', arranged at right angles to the stud 20 and to each other,located at one end,

and with a fiat thumb-piece 22 of substantially the form shown locatedat the other end of such stud, the projections 2l and 21 and thethumb-piece 22 being all of such form as to lock the rear extension 18of the trigger 1v and the rear end of the trigger-guard 23 in place whenturned so as to cover the same. This stop or button 19 is revolublymounted The forward end of this firing-bolt IOO in thelower wall of thelock-cavity of the firearm, with the projections 21 and21 within thecavity, and with the thumb-piece 22 without the same, as shown. Whenturned so that the projection 21 is to the front, the trigger being inits forward position, as shown in Fig.

1, the projection 21 will cover the end of the extension 18 of thetrigger 1, so as to lock the trigger iirmly in place, and at the sametime the thumb-piece 22 will perform the same service for the end of thetrigger-guard 23. lVhen, however, the stop is turned into the positionshown in Fig. 2, with the projection 21 crosswise the lock-cavity andthe projection 21 projecting to the rear, both the trigger and thetrigger-guard will be unlocked and capable of free movement, and whenthe trigger is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the stop or button 19is turned into the position shown in Fig. 3, with the projection 21lprojecting to the front, while'thetrigger will be locked, thetrigger-guard will be free, and by simply turning the button into itsfourth position, (not shown,) with the projection 21 turned to the rear,while the trigger-guard will be locked, the trigger will be free.

The trigger-guard 23 is pivoted at the forward end, as shown, and isprovided with a hook 24, adapted to engage with a catch 25, secured tothe under side of the barrel 26, which is pivoted at 27 in the usualmanner, and the piece is also preferably provided with the usualcartridge-extracting mechanism and with a firing-pin 2S of ordinaryform, which transmits the impact of the firing-bolt or hammer 6 to theprimer of the cartridge, so as to explode the same when vsuch firingboltor hammer 6 is released from the trigger and forced forward by themainspring 9 in the operation of firing.

A screw 29 is preferably provided and screwed into the top wall of thelock-cavity at the rear end thereof, as shown,against which the end ofthe extension 13 of the trigger 1 strikes when pulled back far enough torelease the firing-bolt, the purpose of this screw 29 being to limit thebackward movement of the trigger to exactly the amount necessary forsuch release of the firing-bolt.

The operation of the device is as follows: The piece being unloaded andthe parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the stop or button 19 isturned either into the position shown in Fig. 2 or that shown in Fig. 3,and the rear end of the trigger-guard 23 being then pressed down intothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the hook 24 on the forwardend thereof is released from the catch 25, secured to the barrel 26, andthe weight of the forward lend of such barrel as soon as the catch isreleased will force the same into the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 3, when, acartridge being inserted in the usual manner and thebarrel and trigger-guard returned to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and2, the piece is ready for firing. When it is desired to fire the piece,the stop or button 19 is first turned either into the position shown inFig. 2 or into that in which the projection 21 is turned toward therear, when, the trigger being unlocked and free to move, the same ispulled back by pressing against the forward side of the same with thelfinger in the usual manner, and as it travels backward, swinging uponthe pivot 2, the catch 4, engaging with the catch 5 upon the firing-bolt6, draws Vback such bolt, which in turn carries back with it the upperend of the mainspring 9 by reason of the engagement of the prongs 8 ofsuch spring with the bead 10 of such bolt until the point 12 at the rearend of such firing-bolt strikes against the shelf 3 of the trigger, andthe rear of the firing-bolt is lifted `by such shelf, as the trig.

ger is further retracted, until the catch 5 of the bolt 6 clears thecatch 4 at the forward end of the shelf 3, when the .retractedmainspring 9 will force the firing-bolt 6 forward, and the `head 10 ofsuch bolt,impinging with great force upon the rear of the firing-pin 28,will drive the same against the primer of the cartridge in the barrel26, and the same will be exploded and the piece red, the positionassumed by the various parts of the mechanism of the lock the instantbefore tiring being shown in Fig. 2 and that assumed by them the instantafter, being shown in Fig. 3. Upon releasing the trigger after Iiringthe spring 16, pressing against the rear of such trigger, will at onceforce the same forward into the position shown in Fig. 1, and the spring16, pressing against the upper side of the rear portion of thefiring-bolt or hammer 6, will force the same down upon the shelf 3, sothat the catches 4 and 5 will be in position to engage with one anotherwhen the trigger is again pulled back, and the parts having thus assumedthe position shown in Fig. 1 the device will be again ready foroperation, as described.

It is evident that this form of lock may be used with almost any form ofbreech mechanism; that a form of button or stop 19 for locking thetrigger in place different from that shown may be used, and that manymodifications in the construction, combination, and arrangement of thevarious parts of my improved gun-lock may be made without departing fromthe scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself to any particularform thereof; but,

Having now particularly described my said invention and its constructionand operation, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a Vgun-lock, the combination, with a pivoted trigger having ashelf extending from front to rear thereof, located between the pivotand the finger-piece, of acatch secured to the trigger at the forwardside adjacent to the shelf, a firing-bolt having a catch adapted toengage with 4the catch upon the trigger and provided with a rearextension beyond the catch, adapted to engage with the shelf, and aspring by which the firing-bolt is normally IOO IIO

forced forward, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a gun-lock, the combination, with a firing-bolt, of a springadapt-ed to keep the same normally pressed forward, engaging such boltat the forward end thereof, a catch located near the other end of thetiring-bolt, a pivoted trigger, a catch secured to the trigger near theforward edge thereof, located between the pivot and the finger-piece andadapted to engage with the catch upon the firing-bolt in such manner asto draw back the firing-bolt when the trigger is retracted, and meansattached to the trigger for lifting the rear end of the firing-bolt, soas to release the catches from one another when the trigger is fullyretracted, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a gun-lock, the combination, with a pivoted trigger having a shelfextending from front to rear thereof, located between the pivot and thefinger-piece, of a catch attached to the trigger adjacent to the forwardend of the shelf, a firing-bolt having a catch adapted to engage withthe catch upon the trigger and provided with an extension to the rear ofthe catch, a spring engaging with the firing-bolt and adapted to keepthe same normally pressed forward, and a spring engaging with thefiring-bolt in such manner as to keep the same normally in contact withthe shelf of the trigger, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a gun-lock, the combination, with a pivoted trigger having a shelfextending from front to rear thereof, located between the pivot and thefinger-piece, of a catch attached to the trigger adjacent to the forwardend of the shelf, a firing-bolt having a catch adapted to engage withthe catch upon the trigger and provided with an extension to the rear ofthe catch, a spring engaging with the firing-bolt and adapted to keepthe same normally pressed forward, a spring engaging with thefiring-bolt in such manner as to keep the same normally in contact withthe shelf of the trigger, and a spring engaging with the trigger in suchmanner as to keep the same normally pressed forward, substantially asshown and described.

5. In a firearm the breech mechanism of which is operated by movement ofthe trigger-guard, the combination, with the triggerguard, of a triggerhaving a rear extension and a movable stop adapted to engage the end ofthe trigger-guard and the end of the extension, so as to lock both thetrigger and the trigger-guard in position in such manner as to preventmovement thereof when desired, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a firearm the breech mechanism of which is operated by movement ofthe trigger-guard, the combination, with the triggerguard, of a triggerhaving a rear extension and a movable stop adapted to lockboth thetrigger and the trigger-guard in position so as to prevent movementthereof when desired, such stop being capable of four positions-viz.,one in which both trigger and 'trigger-guard are locked, one in whichboth are unlocked,one in which the trigger is locked and thetrigger-guard is free, and one in which the trigger-guard is lockedandthe trigger is free, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a gun-lock, the combination, with a sliding firing-bolt, of aspring by which the same is normally pressed foward, a trigger pivotedabove the firing-bolt, a catch upon the tiring-bolt, and a catch uponthe trigger adapted to engage with the catch upon the firing-bolt, theconstruction and arrangement being such that the two catches will bereleased from one another and the firing-bolt forced forward when thetrigger is fully retracted, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a gun-lock, the combination, with a sliding firing-boitthe rearend of which is capable of vertical movement, of a trigger pivoted abovethe ring-bolt, a spring by which the firing-bolt is normally pressedforward, a spring by which the rear of the firing-bo1t is normallypressed in a direction substantially at right angles to its slidingmovement, a catch upon the firing-bolt, and a catch upon the triggeradapted to engage with the catch upon the bolt, the construction andarrangement being such that the two catches will be released from oneanother and the firing-bolt forced forward when the trigger is fullyretracted,substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Escanaba, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, this25th day 0f February, A. D. 1892.

LARS JONSON.

Vitnesses:

JOHN G. ZANE, L. MoRNsEN.

IOO

